Nikon Z8 receives significant firmware update 3.0

Firmware updates are usually a minor inconvenience that usually fixes a few software bugs and issues. But when major updates are dropped – it's a cause for celebration. From a camera brand's perspective, it's also excellent PR. It reassures us photographers, who've invested a fair bit in our gear, that the companies are still thinking of us and showing some appreciation, rather than saving those valuable upgrades only for the next camera model.

So with this in mind, it's good to see that Nikon has just released firmware version 3.0 for its Z8 mirrorless camera which introduces a range of interesting enhancements. This update adds new features and refines existing functionalities, thus expanding the Z8's capabilities.

One notable addition is the improved pixel-shift shooting function. The Z8 now allows combining pixel-shift (4 / 8 / 16 or 32 images) with either focus-shift (focus stacking) shooting or AE bracketing.

This integration enables the creation of higher-resolution images (up to 180 megapixels) with extended depth of field or exposure range. This can be beneficial for specific photographic genres where you desire highly detailed macro capture or encounter extreme discrepancies with exposure.

Another key improvement is the introduction of Flexible Colour Picture Control. This feature allows users to develop custom colour profiles within Nikon's NX Studio software, which can then be applied to images directly on the Z8 as Custom Picture Controls. This provides more control over in-camera colour rendition.

Autofocus performance has also been updated with the new in-camera focus limiter. This enables users to define a specific focus range, which can help in preventing the camera from seeking focus outside of a desired area.

This can be useful in situations where precise and quick focus acquisition is important, such as in wildlife or sports photography. Additionally, subject detection is now available in manual focus mode, and the magnification option in live view has been expanded to 400% for more detailed focusing.

Higher Frame Rate Capture now has more options – it has added 15 frames to the already 30 / 60 / 120 frames. You can also shoot in 'JPG fine' instead of just 'JPG normal'. However, RAW still isn't available, which kind of makes sense as who wants to store 120 RAW images for a 1 second burst (if it was even possible).

The new High Frequency Reduction Presets feature, previously seen in the Z9, is now available. This allows you to measure and save the flicker rate of specific lighting. This is a huge time-saver because it means your camera won't have to 'discover' the correct shutter speed every time you walk into a different room or lighting situation. Instead, you can instantly apply a preset to eliminate the unsightly banding that often appears in photos when shooting under flickering LED lights.

Beyond these primary features, Firmware 3.0 includes various other refinements. These include improved file management for pixel-shift sequences, enhanced operability for custom controls, expanded AF-area dimensions for Wide-area AF, and better integration with external recorders.

You can find out more and download the Z8 Firmware 3.0 from the Nikon Australia website.